Rotary engine.



B. F. AUGUSTINE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION rum) mm: s, 1910.

Patented Feb. 14, 191 1.

2 SHEETS-3H3 1.

'B; F. AUGUSTINE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 19 10.

Patented Feb.14,1911.

2 SHEETS-811E111 2.

of the cylinder disks.

UNITED STATES gaxrnmr OFFICE" BENJAMIN F. AUGUSTINE, OF BUFFALO, NEXV YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 14;; it gill.

Application filed June 6, 1910. Serial No. 565,292. i i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. AU- GUSTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRotary Engines, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to rotary engines.

One object is to provide a freely operat ing pistoncapable of reciprocation with a minimum of friction to overcome binding or undue wear between the piston and its carrier.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the c0mbination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and point; d out in the appended claims, it being under tood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, size and minor details without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the automatically balanced valve. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the pistons. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the abutments. Fig. 6 is an internal face View of one. of the cylinder heads. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view 'ofthe rotary carrier, illustrating my improved bearing applied thereto. Fig. 8 is a face view of one Fig. 9 is a fragmentary face view of a portion of one end of the carrier, partly in section. F 10 is a fragmentary edge view of one end of the carrier.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings the reference character 1 indicates a cylinderor casing and 2 a power shaft journaled in the cylinder and in suitable adjustable bearings 3 on opposite sides of the cylinder.

Fixedly secured to the shaft 2 is a rotary piston carrier comnosed of two sections 4t and 5, both arranged to rotate in the casing and to contact on one side thereof. These.

sections 4: and 5 of the carrier are provided with pistons 6 and 7 respectively, and slid." able in radial slots 8 and 9, respectively in which the pistons reciprocate as the carrier rotates. 2 i

In Fig. 4. the piston s is shown as proa removable packing strip carried by the piston.

The sections 4 and 5 of the carrier are provided with the interior radial chambers. 18 and 19 for the snug sliding reception of the c0unterweights 15 on the piston rods 14 of the pistons 6 and 7. The piston rods 1-1 which connect the counter-weights 15 with the respective pistons 6 and 7 are adapted to pass loosely through the sections 4 and 5 and the shaft 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, there being roller bearings 16 between the weights 15 and the chambers 18 and 19.

The characters 20 and 21 indicate outer disks keyed to the shaft 2 and bolted to the sections 4 and 5. These disks 20 and 21 form outer end walls for the radial piston slots 8 and 9 and the radial chambers 18 and 19. Radial slots 22 in the disks 20 and 21 are, provided to permit of the passage therethrough of the arms 10 and 12 of the pistons G and 7, the long and short arms of one piston being disposed opposite to the short and long arms of the other piston, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The characters 23 and 24. indicate the cylinder heads bolted to each end of the casing or cylinder 1.

On the inner faces of the cylinder heads 23 and 24: are the circular channels 28 adapted to slidably receive the cross heads 29 secured to the outer ends of the long and short arms of the pistons 6 and 7 there being a hard metal ring 25 removably secured in the channel 25 in the inner face of each head 23 and 2-1 to prevent undue wear of the heads or the disks 20 and 21.

The character 80' indicates abutments, each of which has its outer cylindrical wall 31 in close contact with the inner cylindrical wall of the casing 1. The inner cylind ical wall of the'abutment 80 is eccentric with the sections 4: and 5 of the carrier and the shaft 2. On each side of the abutment 30 is an annular flange 33, forming an annular recess for the rece tion of the the section am,

35 centered.

Between the side walls of the abutments and the side walls or theflanges of the sections 4 and 5 of the carrier, spring pressed metal packing rings 35 are interposed for a pur- 5 pose well understood.

Within the thicker side of each abutment is a transverse cylindrical chamber 36, in each of which are packing blocks 37 each having a short stem 38. Between correspending short stems 38 of the packing blocks 37 are interposed spiral springs 39 for pressing the packing blocks against the inner surfaces of the flanges on the sections .4 and 5 of the carrier. By virtue of the pressure of the springs 39 against the ends of the stems 38 of the packing blocks 37 the latter are not liable to tilting action, the springs 39 exerting pressure centrally of said blocks and thereby maintaining them in true relation against the inner surfaces of the flanges of the sections composing the carrier.

Extending through the abutments are the inlets 40 and the exhaust ports 41. Gemmunicating with the exhaust ports 41 is the common exhaust chamber 42 (see Fig. 2)

having the outlet pipe 43 leading therefrom.

The character 44 indicates a hollow cylindrical valve adapted to be oscillated within its chamber 45 and it is provided with the outlet ports 46 and 47, out of line with each a proper balance of the valve. The expansive fluid is conveyed into the valve 44 by way of the inlet 50.

The valve 44 has a valve stem 51 which projects through the casing 1 and at the outer end of the valve stem 51 is keyed one end of the rocker arm 52 (see Fig. 1), the outer end of the connecting rod 53, having its upper end rigidly connected with the eccentric strap 54 surrounding the cam 55, formlng a part of the centrifugal governor 56, which may be of any well known type.

The operating fluid (either steam or gas) entersthrough the passage 50 to the valve 44, and passing through the perforations 49,

55 enters the interior of the valve 44 ready for operative action.

When the piston 7 passes the inletvport 50 the outlet port 47 in valve 44 commences to register with the port 40 and is cut off 6 automatically by the action of the centrifugal governor 56, the degree of registration of port40 with port 47, from full to partial, being automatically regulated through the governor 56, by the varying load. The instant that piston 7 completes the first half of its stroke the piston 6 in the adjacent section of the rotary carrier crosses the corresponding inlet port 40 and at the next instant outlet port 46 in the valve 44 commences to register with said other exhaust port and is cut olfautomatically in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with the port 47.

The character 57 indicates an opening in the wall of the cylindrical valve 44 diametrically opposite the outlet port 47 and slightly larger than said port. This opening 57 is to effect a steam tight joint between the upper wall of the valve 44 and the contacting wall of its chamber around the point of junction of the port- 47 with the lower end of the inlet port 40. The opening 57 has the same relation to the port 47 as the opening 57 with relation to the port 46 and both are designed to effect and-maintain a proper balance of the valve.

It will now be understood that the pistons reciprocate alternately in the radial slots of the carrier, and in order to facilitate and provide for an even and eflicient reciprocation of the pistons, I provide each piston at each end with a recess 59 adapted to receive the lug 60 of the socketed member 61 whose opposite ends have lugs 62 to engage over the rear edge of the piston, there being one of these socketed members 61 at each end of each piston with each member provided with spaced sockets 63 adapted to receive the bearing balls 64 in such manner as to permit the balls to engage the bottoms of their sockets and rotate freely therein.

The socketed members (51 cooperate with the guide members secured in the recesses 66 of the flanges 34 of the carrier adjacent the piston slots 8 and 9, the inner ends of the guide members resting upon the shoulders 67 of the carrier and their outer ends being secured to the latter by means of a suitable pin 68. Each guide member has a longitudinal groove 69 in which the bearing balls 64 travel during reciprocation of the pistons. The socketed members 61 are not fastened to the pistons but are locked,

1. In a rotary engine, in combination, a-

cylinder a piston carrier journaledin the cylinder and provided with radial slots, the

carrier being recessed adjacent one side of each slot, a grooved guide member fitted in each recess, a piston slidable in said slots, the piston having recesses in its outer edge, one at each end thereof, socketed members carried by the piston at the ends thereof, each having a lugengaged in the corresponding end provided with a lug to engage the rear recess of the piston andhaving its opposite edge of the piston, and bearing balls carried I in'the sockets of the socketed members and members carried by the piston at the ends thepiston, and bearing balls sockets of the socketed members and travel ing in the grooves. of the thereof, and bearing balls carried in the sockets of the socketed members and traveling in the grooves of the ide members.

3. In a rotary engine, 1n combination, a cylinder, a piston 'carrier journaled in the cylinder and provided with slots, the carrier being recessed adjacent one side of each slot, 8. grooved guide member fitted in each recess, a piston slidable in said slots, socketed members carried by the iston at the ends thereof, eachhaving a ug engaging carried in the ide members.

4. In a rotary engine,-1n combination, a cylinder, :1 piston carrier journaled in the cylinder'and fitted with radial slots, :1 guide member secured to the carrier adjacent each slot, socketed members carried by the piston at the ends thereof for coiiperation with the guide members, and bearing balls carried in the sockets of the socketed bearing against the guide members.

" 5. In a rotaryenginein combination, a

' cylinder, a piston carrier journaled in the cylinder and provided with radial slots, a longitudinally grooved guide member secured to the carrier adjacent each slot, hearing carrying members carried by the piston at the ends thereof, and bearing elements carried by said bearing carrying members and engaging the guide members to guide the piston and obviate friction.

6. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston carrier cylinder, grooved guide members secured to the carrier, socketed members carried by the iston for cooperation with the guide members, andbearing balls carried in the sockets of the socketed members and traveling in the grooves of the guide members.

7. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston carrier journaled in the cylinder, and provided with radial slots, the

members and journaled in the guide members and carrier being recessed adjacent one side of guide member and into the carrier to secure the guide member in place, a -piston slidable. in said slots, the piston ha ving recesses 1n lts outer edge, one at each eted members carried by the piston at the end thereof, sockends thereof, each socketed member vhaving :1. lug engaged in the correspondingreoess of the piston and having its opposite end provided with a. lug to engage the rear edge of the piston, and bearing balls carried n the sockets of the socketed members and Egaveling-in the grooves 'of the guide mem- 8. In a rotary engine, in combination, a

cylinder, a piston carrier journaled in the cylinder, grooved guide members carried by the carrier, bearing carrying, elements carried by the piston, and bearing elements carried by the bearing carrying members and engaging the guide members to lock the bearmg carrying members in cooperative rela{ tion with the guide members.

9. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, an abutment in the cylinder, a piston carrier operable in thecylinder and adapted to cbntact at one point with the abutment, the abutment having a transverse bore, packing blocks disposed at the ends of said bore and having in the bore bearing at its ends against the inner free ends of said stems 10. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston carrier journaled in the cylinder and prm-idcd with a pair of slots, grooved guide members secured 'to the car rier adjacent the slots, socketed members having lugs ei'igaging the front and rear' edges of the piston, and l'iearing balls car-.-

ried in the sockets of the socketed membersand engaging the guide members and locked by the latt=r in coi'iperative relation with the immovable with refer ence to the piston. f In testimony whereof I in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. AUGUSTINE. lVitnesses ELIZABETH S. CAs'rEnmN, Gno. C. Snomnmnn.

aiiix my signature 

